Pesto

Here in the verdant Appalachians, it's summertime and that means good eating! I love cooking with all the wonderful fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs available this time of the year.

To me, one of the best tastes of summer is pesto. This rich green sauce is traditional tossed with pasta, but it's also great spread on bread or drizzled over tomato soup. Fortunately, it also freezes well, so the taste can be savored all winter long.

If you wish to freeze pesto, simply spoon it into ice cube trays and freeze. When it's frozen through, transfer to a freezer bag until use. Yummy!

This recipe will make enough pesto for one pound of pasta with some left over to freeze or use later in the week. It's proof positive that pesto doesn't need cheese to taste delicious!

4 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup pine nuts
6-8 cloves garlic, chopped
3/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1. Place basil, pine nuts, garlic, parsley, olive oil and sea salt in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Pour pesto over hot pasta, adding a bit of reserved hot pasta cooking water if needed to moisten. Toss to cover pasta.
3. Serve immediately.
4. Spoon any remaining pesto into a small container and cover with a drizzle of olive oil. Refrigerate until use.